This invention is related in general to networks and more specifically to systems and methods for selectively controlling network resource usage.
For the purposes of the present discussion, a network resource may be any network entity or characteristic or associated identifier. Examples of network entities include computers, switches, interfaces, software, batteries, and so on. Examples of characteristics or identifiers include communications link bandwidth, power consumption, router processor speed, network services, and so on.
Systems for controlling network resource usage are employed in various demanding applications including wireless network handoff, 802.11 network-coverage-area transitioning, server-load balancers, and so on. Such applications often demand efficient resource-control systems that can minimize unnecessary power consumption and other resource usage.
Systems for efficiently controlling network resources are particularly important in wireless network applications, such as 802.11 networks and cellular networks, where resource usage may rapidly change as different mobile devices connect to the networks or as the networks themselves move. In such applications, wireless routers are often employed to create local mobile hotspots by which nearby users can connect, forming a local network. If the wireless router is within the coverage area of another network, such as a nearby Wide Area Network (WAN), the wireless router may facilitate connecting the local network to the WAN. If the wireless router moves beyond the coverage area of the WAN, communications between the wireless router and the WAN terminate. Hence, wireless networks are susceptible to various topology changes as a wireless routers and devices communicating with the wireless routers change or move. Unfortunately, wireless networks often lack efficient mechanisms to control network resource usage as network topology changes.